Balancing Luna on his shoulders, Jem meandered carefully through the trees in the forest to the southwest if the beach hut. At two years of age, Luna was developing a curious personality, asking him about the trees and plants that they passed.
“You’ll need to ask Mamm Wynn about those,” he said, inwardly cursing himself for his lack of botanical knowledge.
“Anna know.”
The very mention of the dark angel’s name sent a chill rattling down his spine.
“Anna’s not here,” he replied through gritted teeth.
“Miss Anna. You put Anna in a box She got out.”
Another icy chill fired through him.
“Where is she?” he asked trying to make the question appear casual.
“With the crows.”
“Which crows?”
“Tas Gwynn crows.”
Jem’s blood ran cold…
With all that had been going on in life since the family’s return from the castle, Jem had had little time to think about the dark angel. As he walked through the forest with Luna, he cursed himself for being so complacent.
“Time to go home,” he declared, swinging the little girl down into his arms. “Maybe Beth will read you a story before bedtime.”
“I like Beth. She got pretty wings,” said Luna. “Will me get wings?”
“When you’re older,” replied Jem, cursing another question that he didn’t know the answer to. “Hold on tight.”
Once back at the beach hut, Jem handed Luna straight to Trine then turned to his mother and said simply, “We need to talk.”
Sensing from her son’s mood that he meant immediately, Meryn got to her feet and suggested that they took their conversation outside.
Together they walked along the shoreline, heading west away from the hut.
“Jem, what’s wrong?” Meryn asked eventually, “You look angry.”
“Anna isn’t in the box.”
Meryn stopped and stared at him in disbelief. “Not in the box?”
Jem shook his head,” Apparently Luna has known all along that I took her doll. She said Anna wasn’t in the box. She says she’s with the crows at the castle.”
Meryn paled visibly, “We need to go back. Now!”
“What about Beth? I can’t leave her here. She’s not able to hunt for herself yet,” pointed out Jem.
“We’ll have to take her with us.”
“Is she strong enough to travel?”
“That remains to be seen,” sighed Meryn. “She is getting stronger by the day. Her wings are fully formed now. I agree that she’s not strong enough to learn to hunt yet so perhaps castle life is actually the obvious answer for a while.”
“It’s not the answer for me,” he grumbled. “If we go now, I’ll end up trapped there for months. I wanted to spend the summer her with Trine and my daughters.”
“Well, you can’t,” snapped Meryn. “We need to go back and you know it. We need to find Anna before she wreaks havoc.”
“I know,” Jem sighed. “But I am not staying there any longer than I absolutely have to, mother!”
“Understood.”
The heavy curtain that served as a door to Beth’s small room was closed. Not wanting to barge in uninvited, Jem knocked on the wall beside the curtain.
“Beth?” he called softly. “Can I come in?”
“Of course.”
Pushing the curtain aside, Jem stepped into the room. His daughter was sitting up in bed reading.
“You’re a bit old for fairy tales,” he teased with a smile.
“You’re never too old for fairy tales,” she countered. “Feels as if we’re living in one half the time these days.”
“I hear you,” Jem acknowledged as he took a seat on the edge of the bed. “We need to talk.”
“Sounds ominous. Should I be worried?”
“Not at all,” he assured her. “Jesus, this really does sound like a fairy tale.” He paused. “We need to return to the castle for a bit. There’s something Meryn and I need to deal with.”
“The vampires’ castle?”
“Yes but its not as bad as you’re imagining,” replied Jem. “Actually, I think you might enjoy it. Staff to wait on you hand and foot. Ramparts to walk along. And you’ll finally get to meet Trine’s father, Stefan.”
“He’s the head vampire, isn’t he?”
Jem nodded.
“Are we all going?” Beth asked anxiously..
“Yes,” Jem replied. “We’re still working out the logistics but we’ll likely leave tomorrow night or the night after. It’s not easy to transport everyone so Meryn is sending for an escort for us.”
“Escort?”
“Someone from the Court of Elders will arrive to help everyone safely to the castle. Michael most likely. He’s American. You’ll like him. Nice guy.”
“Do they all know about me?” whispered Beth, tears filling her eyes.
“Not yet. Stefan knows. Trine explained to him,” revealed Jem, taking her hand. “I know this is all weird. Fairy tale shit. It freaked me out too at first. Still does sometimes but it’ll be ok.”
“I don’t really have any choice, do I?”
Jem shook his head, “Neither of us do.”
“Neither of us?” Beth echoed. “Is this to do with …her?”
Jem nodded. “I can’t explain yet. It’s a long story and the less you know, the safer you are. I promise once this is all sorted, I’ll tell you everything.”
“Dad,” she said, squeezing his hand. “I trust you. If you say we need to go, we go. I just don’t want to be separated from you again.”
“We’ll be together,” he promised her. “I’ll make sure your room is close to ours or with Meryn. We’ll not leave you alone.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
With their departure imminent, the beach house became a hive of activity the following day. Both Meryn and trine were busy packing, debating how much they needed to take for Luna.
“Just summer clothes,” snapped Jem as he walked through their discussion. “This is a flying visit. Hopefully only a few days.”
“Hopefully,” agreed his mother. “If it turns out to be a longer stay, you can always come back for anything you need.”
A knock at the door interrupted them.
“That’ll be Michael,” commented Meryn.
“I’ll get it,” muttered Jem, pushing his way past the two women.
His mood lightened when he saw the American vampire standing in the small, enclosed courtyard.
“You requested an escort, sire,” the American vampire stated with a theatrical bow.
“Technically, my mother did,” laughed Jem. “Good to see you. Thanks for getting here so quickly.”
“I assume this has something to do with our dark angelic friend,” observed Michael as he stepped inside.
“How did you guess?” sighed Jem as he closed the door. “Drink?”
“Please,” replied Michael. “What’s the urgency? I thought from what Meryn reported at court after you left that you had curtailed her liberty?”
“So, we thought,” replied Jem, pouring them both some wine. “Crazy question for you. Have the crows at the castle been behaving strangely?”
“Funny you should mention them. We’ve been finding lots of dead birds recently.”
“Drained of what little blood they have?”
“No one has though to check as far as I know,” replied Michael, a concerned look furrowing his brow. “Is Anna killing the crows?”
“We think she’s one of them,” revealed Jem quietly. “We know she can shapeshift. It’s just a hunch but the source is reliable.”
“That might answer a few questions,” the American vampire admitted. “Now, I hear from Stefan that you’ve had one of your children return to you. I thought that might be why you were returning so soon.”
“That’s part of it,” replied Jem. “Beth, can you come out here, please? There’s someone I’d like you to meet.”
“Give me a minute,” Beth called back.
A few moments later, the curtain moved aside and Beth stepped into the living room. Still pale and thin despite the weeks of rest and recovery, she almost shimmered with ethereal beauty. Her long dark hair lay over her slender shoulder in a thick braid. Her brown eyes, a match for her father’s, were wide with an unspoken fear.
“Beth, this is Michael. He’s come to help us travel tonight,” introduced Jem warmly. “Michael, this is my daughter, Beth.”
“Delighted to meet you,” said Michael with a smile. “I hope you’re recovering after your ordeal.”
“Getting there…I think,” replied Beth shyly. “Dad, can I have some wine, please?”
Sensing that her need was for something stronger than the chianti they were drinking, Jem fetched a fresh bottle of blood infused wine and poured her a generous glass from it.
“Thanks,” she said quietly as she accepted the full glass. “Does it take long to travel to this vampire castle?”
“Mere minutes,” replied Michael. “If you’re not used to our ways of travelling, you might feel nauseous at first but it passes.”
“Minutes?” she echoed looking confused.
“It’s a vampire thing,” explained Jem. “It’s how I brought you here.”
“I don’t remember that…”
“If Jem doesn’t object, I’d be delighted to see you safely to the castle,” offered Michael, flashing a smile at her.
“Fine by me if its fine by Beth,” replied Jem.
“I’ll take good care of her,” promised Michael, barely able to take his eyes off the fledgling vampiress.
Midnight was approaching as Jem and Trine, who was clutching a sleeping Luna, touched down lightly in their usual suite of rooms. A fire burned brightly in the hearth, the lamps were lit and a supper tray was waiting for them on the table beside the fireplace.
“Home sweet home,” sighed Trine as she gazed round the familiar room. “I’ll just settle Luna in her cot.”
“Let’s keep her with us tonight,” countered Jem. “Just til we work out what’s going on with our friend.”
With a nod, Trine settled their sleeping daughter in the centre of their bed. Just as she was about to ask where Michael and Beth were, there was a knock at the door.
“Come in,” called Jem as he hefted he backpack from his shoulders.
With a squeal of protest from the hinges, the door opened and Michael entered carrying Beth in his arms.
“Rough flight,” he explained as he carried her over to one of the fireside chairs. “Send for some blood. Human blood. She passed out when we landed.”
Without hesitation, Trine rang the bell to summon a member of the household staff.
“Where did you land?” quizzed Jem, kneeling before his frail daughter.
“On the ramparts. I thought fresh air might make it easier on her.”
“And I’m guessing it didn’t,” added Jem with a wry smile. “Beth, you ok?”
With tears in her eyes, she shook her head, “I feel sick.”
“It’ll pass in a minute or two,” promised Trine softly as she passed her a small glass of wine. “Some blood will help. It’ll be here in a few minutes.”
“I’ll fetch Meryn,” suggested Michael. “I think she needs something more than blood but I’m no healer.”
“Thanks, Michael.,” said Jem. “Probably a good idea.”
“There’s no need to fuss,” protested Beth weakly. “I just need a minute.”
“Better to be safe than sorry,” said Trine firmly.
“Trine’s right,” agreed Jem and Michael together.
When Meryn arrived a short while later, she wasn’t alone. Stefan followed her into the family’s chambers concern etched in his usually serene face.
“An unexpected pleasure,” he greeted them, hugging Trine before embracing Jem. “And you’ve brought a new member of the Cinque Famiglia too.”
“Good to see you,” replied Jem, keeping an eye on his daughter while Meryn was administering some herbs and potions along with a goblet of warm blood, “I’ll introduce you to my daughter when she’s recovered a bit. The flight took a lot out of her.”
“Delighted that you brought her. Any member of your family is always welcome to call the castle home.”
“Thank you. Appreciate it.”
“You haven’t eaten yet,” observed Stefan spotting the untouched tray. “I’ll send for another tray for Meryn and I and some more wine, shall I?”
“Oh, please, Father,” sighed Trine, relieved to have everyone she loved safely under one roof.
Half an hour later with Beth more or less recovered from the journey, they were all seated round the table in Jem and Trine’s chambers enjoying a light supper and some exquisite blood infused wine. It hadn’t escaped Jem’s attention than Michael had made sure he was seated next to Beth. His mother caught his eye as he observed them and nodded. She too had noticed Michael’s immediate attraction to Beth.
“Tell me again why you think Anna is hiding in plain sight among the castle’s crows,” requested Stefan, bringing Jem’s attention back to the moment.
“We had good reason to believe that she was hiding in Luna’s ragdoll. She can shapeshift,” began Jem calmly. “Meryn and I thought we had trapped her inside the doll in a box the night we left here. Apparently we failed. Luna told me Anna was with your crows. She’s communicating with her somehow.”
“It explains all the dead birds we’ve been finding,” commented Michael.
“I don’t think we should be speaking so openly about this,” cut in Meryn sharply. “We don’t know who is listening.”
Stefan nodded, “We can meet tomorrow in one of the sealed court chambers. We need to find her especially in view of what she has done to Beth. She must be held accountable for that in front of the court.”
“Agreed,” stated Meryn. “But you will need to wait until my grand daughter is stronger before you bring her before the Court of the elders to give evidence. She needs to recover from her ordeal first.”
“Of course,” agreed Stefan without hesitation. “The whole castle is at your disposal. Whatever it takes, Meryn.”
“Thank you.”
“Would it be possible to seal the castle until we find her?” asked Jem as he refilled everyone’s goblets.
“Already done,” replied Stefan. “If she’s still here, we’ll find her.”
The castle kitchens opened out into a small courtyard at the rear of the castle, near the north gate. Despite the late hour, the kitchen was a hive of activity suggesting to Anna that important guests had arrived. Soundlessly she transformed from the crow form she had favoured of late into a tiny mouse then scampered under a gap in the kitchen door on a mission to discover who had arrived. Hidden from sight in a corner near the sink, she watched and listened, searching for clues. When she spotted one of the stewards preparing a carafe of blood infused wine, Anna decided to follow him to see where he took it.
Conversation around the table had lightened with Stefan holding court. He entertained Beth with anecdotes of Trine’s childhood growing up in the castle. There were several stories that Jem had never heard. He was grateful to Stefan for making ever y effort to help Beth feel at ease among them.
With a soft knock first, one of the castle stewards entered carrying a fresh carafe of wine. Conversation paused while the steward refilled their goblets, placed the carafe on the table retrieving the empty one then prepared to leave. Just as he reached the door, a small movement at the edge of the doorframe caught Jem’s eye. He watched as a small mouse scurried out of the door at the steward’s heels. It seemed to shimmer as it disappeared out into the hallway.
Recognising what he had just witness, Jem took a deep breath then said as calmly as he could, “Anna’s here. She’s in the castle.”
Coral McCallum 